Occupation salary profile

Transportation Inspectors

SOC 53-6051 BLS OEWS May 2025 H-1B LCAs, last 12 months

Inspect equipment or goods in connection with the safe transport of cargo or people. Includes rail transportation inspectors, such as freight inspectors, rail inspectors, and other inspectors of transportation vehicles not elsewhere classified. Excludes “Transportation Security Screeners” (33-9093).

National median · BLS
$92,100
▲ +7.41% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
$72,111
▼ -14.11% YoY · 10 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$88,540
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
24,500
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Transportation Inspectors

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 10 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS) H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay$40,330$54,642
25th$58,780$62,956
Median (50th)$92,100$72,111
75th$108,890$87,900
90th — top pay$138,670$122,693
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $72,111 for Transportation Inspectors — 21.7% below the BLS national median of $92,100.

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Transportation Inspectors

BLS projects employment of transportation inspectors to grow 2.2% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 2,300 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
25,100 → 25,600
+600 jobs
Projected change
+2.2%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
2,300
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
0.2% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 4)
Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a high school diploma →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035

H-1B sponsored pay

Pay by H-1B wage level

Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.

H-1B median $72,111
Change vs prior year -14.11%
After inflation (CPI-U) -16.72%
Skills & tools

Skills needed for Transportation Inspectors

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Critical Thinking3.6
  • Reading Comprehension3.6
  • Speaking3.6
  • Writing3.6
  • Active Listening3.5
  • Monitoring3.4
  • Time Management3.4
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.3
  • Complex Problem Solving3.1
  • Coordination3.1
Top knowledge areas
  • Transportation3.9
  • English Language3.8
  • Customer and Personal Service3.5
  • Mathematics3.2
  • Public Safety and Security3.2
  • Administration and Management3.0
  • Law and Government3.0
  • Mechanical3.0
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft WordAdobe AcrobatGoogle AndroidEmail softwareWeb browser software

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What transportation inspectors do

  • Prepare and submit reports after completion of freight shipments.
  • Inspect shipments to ensure that freight is securely braced and blocked.
  • Record details about freight conditions, handling of freight, and any problems encountered.
  • Advise crews in techniques of stowing dangerous and heavy cargo.
  • Observe loading of freight to ensure that crews comply with procedures.
  • Recommend remedial procedures to correct any violations found during inspections.
  • Inspect loaded cargo, cargo lashed to decks or in storage facilities, and cargo handling devices to determine compliance with health and safety regulations and need for maintenance.
  • Notify workers of any special treatment required for shipments.
Also called
Cargo SurveyorMarine Cargo SurveyorMarine SurveyorPetroleum InspectorInspector
Specialties within this occupation
  • Aviation Inspectors
  • Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspectors, Except Aviation
More job titles for this occupation (80)
AdmeasurerAeronautical InspectorAerospace InspectorAir Brakes InspectorAir Carrier InspectorAircraft InspectorAircraft Landing Gear InspectorAircraft Maintenance InspectorAircraft Quality Control Inspector (Aircraft QC Inspector)Aircraft Systems InspectorAirplane InspectorAirworthiness InspectorAirworthiness Safety InspectorAuto Damage Auction Inspector (Automotive Damage Auction Inspector)Automotive Damage Field Inspector (Auto Damage Field Inspector)Automotive Damage Inspector (Auto Damage Inspector)Automotive Field Inspector (Auto Field Inspector)Automotive Inspector (Auto Inspector)Automotive Vehicle Inspector (Auto Vehicle Inspector)Aviation Safety Inspector (ASI)Avionics InspectorAvionics Safety InspectorAxle InspectorBrakes InspectorBridge InspectorBus InspectorCar Body InspectorCar InspectorCargo InspectorContainer InspectorDamaged Freight InspectorEquipment InspectorFlight InspectorFlight Operations InspectorFreight Car InspectorFreight InspectorFreight Service InspectorFreight SpecialistGeneral Avionics Safety InspectorHeavy Check InspectorInspections SpecialistJet InspectorLoading InspectorLocomotive InspectorMaintenance InspectorManufacturing Aviation Safety Inspector (Manufacturing ASI)Manufacturing Safety InspectorMarine Cargo BrokerMarine Cargo InspectorMarine Cargo SpecialistMotor Vehicle Emissions InspectorNaval InspectorNavy Material InspectorOperations InspectorPacking InspectorPerishable Freight InspectorPerishable Fruit InspectorPilot Safety InspectorPit InspectorPre-Flight OperatorPreflight InspectorQuality Control Inspector (QC Inspector)Quality InspectorRailroad Car InspectorRailroad InspectorRoadway InspectorRTS Inspector (Return to Service Inspector)Safety InspectorSafety Pilot InspectorSchool Bus InspectorShip SurveyorShipping InspectorShipping LiaisonState InspectorSteamboat InspectorTank InspectorTechnical InspectorTransit Vehicle InspectorTransportation Security InspectorTransportation Technician (Transport Tech)

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.